Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of the questions that our therapist applicants frequently ask. If there's something you feel is missing this list, feel free to contact us and one of our friendly personnel will consider it for inclusion. If you are searching for Frequently Asked Questions about the PediaStaff service from an employer's point of view, you can view them here

General Questions

What kind of placement and staffing does PediaStaff do and what settings do you place in?

PediaStaff excels and specializes in the placement and staffing of pediatric and school-based (also called education-based) occupational, speech-language pathologists (speech therapists), physical therapists, and school psychologists. Pediatric and School Based placements are all we do. Our clients are school districts, general hospitals, children's hospitals, early intervention providers and pediatric outpatient and rehab facilities. Our clients hire travelers, contract therapists and direct hire employees from us.
Sometimes our candidates start out as contractors and then convert to direct.

What is the difference between "pediatric" and "school-based/education-based" therapy?

Most of the healthcare community considers the "pediatric" population to be
the group of patients who are under the age of 21. In general, hospitals,
rehab centers and outpatient clinics follow this more generic convention.
The school and government subsidized therapy communities however, often talk about "pediatric" as the birth to five population; "early-intervention" as the home based (or "natural setting") services for the birth to five population; pre-school as campus based services for children aged three-five and "school" or "education based" to be services for children ages 6 to 18 taking place in a K-12 setting.

What is the application process with PediaStaff?

You will have the opportunity to review our current openings online. You may apply for the openings that you see or just browse. Once you have completed the application process and submitted your resume, your resume and application will be sent to one of our staffing consultants. Even if you don't see a position that seems to fit you today, please feel free to apply. We place many candidates whom we introduce to our client prospects without an actual job order, and can even search for jobs specifically for you based on your criteria. We browse through our existing applicants before posting jobs publicly, so many of our positions are filled with applicants without ever showing up on our website!

Am I under any obligation after I apply with PediaStaff?

Not at all. Feel free to compare our offerings and quality of service against any of our competitors.

Are there any fees to work with PediaStaff?

Absolutely not. Our clients compensate us for successfully placing you with them.

What questions should I be prepared to answer during the screening process when I interview/online application?

It is important for us to completely understand your goals and needs. You should be prepared to share what settings/populations interest you, whether you are looking for direct hire or contract positions, your geographic preferences, timeframe to start your new position/assignment and your salary expectations. In addition, we will ask about your work history, career goals, strengths/weaknesses and your willingness to undergo a complete background check (including fingerprinting).

What will happen next after my screening questions are completed?

Based on your geographic preferences, your search will be assigned to one or more PediaStaff Staffing Consultant(s) who will work with you on a search strategy based on what settings and terms work for you. You can feel confident that our team will work together to cover all the bases with the help of PediaStaff’s extensive and state-of-the-art client/prospect database product. See the section of this document call "Contract Position Questions" and "Direct Hire Position Questions" for further details on the placement process as it applies to the term that’s right for you.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of travel/contract positions compared to direct hire placement?

Travel or Contract placement can be preferable for a therapist in several situations. For one, pay is generally much higher when contracting. If you are traveling in a state or city away from your permanent place of residence you may be eligible for tax-free per-diem to cover the costs of your housing and meals while working away from your primary residence. Traveling/contracting is also ideal if you are looking to explore new areas of the country for a while.

Advantages of direct hire placement would include opportunities for professional advancement – a direct hire employee will generally be offered promotions long before a contractor. Benefits may be better in a permanent environment. Generally school districts have excellent benefits; and although the pay is much lower for district employees vs. contracting, candidates with large families may find that the better benefits package outweighs the lower annual salary.

I have a friend that might like to work with PediaStaff. Do you have a referral bonus?

Yes! We offer a $250 bonus if someone you recommend to us takes a position with or through PediaStaff.

Contract Position Questions

What is “travel therapy” and how does it differ from “contract therapy”?

A “contractor” is generally a candidate who lives locally to the client but is compensated hourly and paid through a staffing agency or back-office. A “traveler,” like a contractor, is also paid hourly and paid by an agency or back-office, but has arrived from out of town for the duration of the assignment and usually qualifies for a tax-free per-diem to pay for the expenses associated with living out of town while maintaining a residence back home while on assignment. Contractors, because they are local, do not have these additional expenses and are not eligible for per diem or housing.

What types of contract/travel assignments are available and how long are they?

PediaStaff works with public and private schools, hospitals, outpatient clinics, early intervention agencies and more. Most school districts are looking for a full school-year commitment, but sometimes will consider a shorter duration. Early Intervention varies from 13 weeks on up. Hospitals and clinics are often looking for family/maternity leaves or to temporarily fill a vacancy.

Will PediaStaff be able to find me an assignment anywhere I want to go?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Many large metropolitan cities will not consider travelers from out of state because of their large PRN pools locally. If you are open to be one or two hours outside the major city of your choice your chances of landing the assignment close to where you want to be will improve drastically. In rural and suburban areas, the need for travelers generally is dependent on whether there are ample local candidates to start with and also whether there is a school graduating candidates in the area you are looking to work. No matter, PediaStaff will always try to find you an assignment regardless of expected market conditions and will follow up with you to make sure you know the status of your search.

I have already learned about the application and screening process with PediaStaff. Could you please explain what happens next in the contract staffing process?

After you have completed your screening questionnaire/interview, your profile and resume will be sent to the appropriate PediaStaff Staffing Consultant(s) for your geographic area. You will receive a notification from the PediaStaff career center confirming your application has been received as well the contact information for your assigned staffing representative. Please note that as much as we would like to place everyone who comes to us for assistance, market factors don’t always make that possible. PediaStaff does pledge however to get with you as soon as possible even if we don’t think we will be able to help you.

Once a marketing plan for your search has been established and our recruiters begin contacting possible employers on your behalf it will be important for you to stay in close contact with your PediaStaff recruiter. Any information that you can provide us such as places you are already interviewing (either on your own or through another agency) are important for us to know so we don’t step on your toes. If you do get an offer during the time when PediaStaff is working on your search, please call us right away. Perhaps we can speed up our clients to give you a chance to have other competing offers.

Please check your email and voicemail regularly for messages from PediaStaff regarding interviews or questions about your search. Contract positions are quite time sensitive and a day going by could make the difference between getting the job and not.

Can you tell me what contract position interview process will be like?

For most contract or travel positions, interviews usually happen first by phone and generally only involve a face to face interview when both the candidate and client are local to each other. The turn-around time from interview to offer can be very short – sometime the same day! After the interview, you and the employer both will indicate your interest in an offer and your compensation and start date will be finalized.

What happens after I am hired for an assignment?

PediaStaff will help you fill out prescreening forms, and guide you through the enrollment process. You will receive a contract and be instructed on where and how to get your fingerprints done and any blood tests that need to be taken for TB and Hepatitis B. You will become an employee of the back-office provider that PediaStaff utilizes. That staffing service provider will conduct a background check, drug screen and FBI fingerprint check on you.

How do I go about getting licensure and/or certification and how long will it take?

PediaStaff provides links to sites with updated licensure application information on our website. Each state has different rules and regulations, along with their own detailed applications. Most require transcripts for new grads and verification of licensure from other states that you have been previously licensed as well as verification from your national professional licensing organization (FSBPT, ASHA, NBCOT) that you have passed the national board exam in your discipline. Licensure is also often available by reciprocity for some states in disciplines if you have been licensed for a certain number of years in another state.

Some states, like California and Washington State, require therapists to obtain a teaching certificate (also known as a credential) in order to work. Your PediaStaff recruiter can help you through this process.

Once I am hired on contract by a PediaStaff client, who will I be legally employed by?

Contract employees work for our back-office provider, as W-2 employees.

Do I have to sign an extended contract?

No. You only need to commit to the one assignment at a time.

What benefits does PediaStaff offer?

PediaStaff offers contractors a highly competitive benefits package which includes travel assistance, licensure, professional dues, malpractice insurance reimbursement, and continuing education. PediaStaff utilizes a back office that will serve as your employer for the duration of the contract assignment and offers a national medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401K program and optional summer pay. Paychecks are weekly and direct deposit are offered. Please see your PediaStaff recruiter for a detailed benefits sheet.

What type of compensation package should I expect?

Compensation is quite competitive. Exact pay will differ based on geographic location and the bill rate we negotiate with the client. You will know exactly what rate is being offered before you are asked to commit to the client

Do you provide housing or is there an allowance?

The back-office provider PediaStaff utilizes operates on the per diem system rather than providing the actual housing. This means you will receive an hourly portion of your pay – tax free, that is to be used for your housing. We believe this is a superior system to that of providing housing because you can choose how much to spend and where to live rather than having us decide for you.

How do I get to my assignment?

Generally we recommend you drive to your assignment so you have your own car to use during the assignment. The cost of your trip to the assignment will be reimbursed by the employer after the start of the assignment up to a designated cap based on the length of the assignment.

What is tax-free “per diem” and who is eligible?

Tax-Free Per Diem is an allowance defined by the IRS as money that can be paid to you (tax-free) to cover living expenses incurred during the assignment. Candidates living away from their permanent residence (defined as where you are currently paying rent or mortgage) are eligible for per-diem. The spirit of this allowance is to exempt from taxation any duplicate expenses affiliated with work that would not be necessary were you living at home.

When and how will I be paid?

Contractors are paid weekly and direct deposit is available.

What type of support is provided if I have a clinical or administrative problem?

PediaStaff offers career support through its staff of clinical support coordinators from the day you begin your assignment through its completion. Support is available 24/7 by licensed therapists.

Will I be required to carry my own liability insurance?

Yes. Although your employer carries liability insurance for your assignment, having your own insurance protects you in the event you are named as a private individual in any claim. If you need to purchase this to work for us, it is a reimbursable expense.

Direct Hire Position Questions

Could you please explain the interview process for direct hire positions?

In cases where applicant relocation will be involved, face to face interviews are generally preceded by a phone interview. The phone interview is your chance to get the employer excited about you.
After a phone interview, the employer may choose to invite you in for a more extensive face to face interview. This is the time where you can learn more about the client and see the facility where you will be working. Generally this interview takes anywhere from one-three hours.
Depending on whether the client has other candidates to interview, the next step would be the offer. Salary negotiations take place through your PediaStaff recruiter.

Do your direct hire employers pay interview expenses for candidates from out of town?

In general the hospitals do. The clinics are generally not in a position to incur that expense, but are often willing to reimburse for that expense after the candidate has accepted their position. Schools hiring from PediaStaff on a direct hire basis typically cannot pay interview expenses per collective bargaining agreements, but are generally willing to hire based on a phone interview rather than an on-site visit for out of town candidates.

Do your clients pay relocation?

Again, the hospitals generally do. Clinics will often offer a flat stipend to move that can ease the relocation burden.

If PediaStaff places me on a direct hire basis who will I be employed by?

You will be a W-2 employee of the hiring employer and will receive their benefits and schedule.

How do I go about getting licensure and/or certification and how long will it take?

PediaStaff provides links to sites with updated licensure application information on our website. Each state has different rules and regulations, along with their own detailed applications. Most require transcripts for new grads and verification of licensure from other states that you have been previously licensed as well as verification from your national professional licensing organization (FSBPT, ASHA, NBCOT) that you have passed the national board exam in your discipline. Licensure is also often available by reciprocity for some states in disciplines if you have been licensed for a certain number of years in another state.

Some states, like California and Washington State, require therapists to obtain a teaching certificate (also known as a credential) in order to work. Your PediaStaff recruiter can help you through this process.